The Philadelphia Union have primarily sat on the sidelines of MLS’s early-offseason whirlwind of transactions.

That choice, it seems, is by design. So, too, may be a change in the general direction of personnel movement in the near future.

What may have seemed like surprises — the departure of Michael Farfan to Cruz Azul, the relative inactivity in the Re-Entry Draft, Carlos Valdes returning to the Union after Colombian club Santa Fe passed on an option to buy — have been taken in stride by John Hackworth and his staff.

In the process, the club has accumulated a sizeable reserve of funds for new arrivals, some of which Hackworth hinted could be finalized soon. The players being targeted are from both inside and outside MLS, according to Hackworth, whose staff has been logging plenty of air miles travelling to scout possible acquisitions.

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While the manager was understandably vague about the details, Hackworth was willing to divulge that the Union could be in a position to acquire a high-priced designated player, under the right circumstances.

“We have a plan that was put in place a while ago and we’ve built up some resources for players in terms of quality,” Hackworth said by phone Friday. “… We would not be talking to these types of players, specifically foreign players bringing them into this MLS market, if we weren’t willing to discuss the designated player option.”

Only twice in the franchises’ four seasons has the Union signed a designated player, which reduces the salary-cap impact of contracts above the league maximum. Those two — Freddy Adu and Kleberson — had decidedly mixed results in their stays in Philadelphia.

It’s hardly a coincidence that both were playmaking midfielders, and the next big signing could fill a similar role, especially given the fact that the midfield was one of the areas most affected this offseason. Kleberson, Roger Torres and Farfan are among the creative players departing, but the Union appear prepared to compensate for the departures.

“You don’t lose a guy like Michael and think you can go on without replacing him,” Hackworth said. “Put it this way: We would not have let a player as talented as Michael Farfan go if we did not make sure we had the kind of quality and the planning on the back end to make up for that.”

Few of the moves this offseason have come as much of a shock to the clubs’ plans. The signing of Farfan by Mexico’s Cruz Azul, for instance, was “a long time in the works,” according to Hackworth, given the Mexican-America’s rising stock and his long-stated aspiration to play professionally in Mexico.

“Michael is a player that we valued and felt good about how we got him,” Hackworth said. “We’re grateful for his contributions on the field for us. But we need to take steps toward the future, and this deal with Cruz Azul lets us reap some rewards financially and bring some of the resources we need to make some changes.”

Farfan, taken in the second round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, represents a stellar piece of business for the Union, who returned a significant though undisclosed transfer fee from the Mexican club. Business aside, it was a tough decision for Hackworth, given the personal connection to Farfan.

“I can tell you on a personal level that I’m disappointed,” Hackworth said. “I have a strong relationship with Michael and with Gabriel since they were 15 years old. But you have to look at it as doing what’s right for the player and for the Philadelphia Union. It’s a win-win for both of us.”

On the subject of potential transfer funds, the Union could get a boost with a decision on Valdes, who was loaned last season to Colombian side Santa Fe. The yearlong loan had an option to buy that wasn’t triggered by the South American club, leading the Union to pick up their contract option on the central defender to control his rights.

The original loan was explored to position Valdes for a spot on the Colombian national team at the 2014 World Cup Final, a goal that Hackworth admits the club shares as well. Hackworth said Friday that the club is “pretty close to a resolution that will be good for both of us that we hope to announce soon.”

The only offseason arrival has been the acquisition of Corben Bone from the Chicago Fire in Phase 1 of the MLS Re-Entry Draft. Bone, who doesn’t have an MLS goal in four seasons and has found playing opportunities few and far between, is the kind of “diamond in the rough” Hackworth is targeting, someone whose potential greatly outweighs his salary.

“The thing that really attracted us to Corben is that he’s thought of as a really versatile, solid player who was outstanding at the youth and college levels and hasn’t gotten a lot of time in MLS,” Hackworth said. “Doing some research, players and coaches thought a lot of his potential.”

The prevailing theme of the Union’s offseason has been simple: Hackworth believes that the youthful core of his team has a lot of room to improve and is worthy of the minutes required for that growth. Many of the moves made last offseason that involved strategically supplementing the roster with veterans like Conor Casey and Jeff Parke have had a year to settle in.

It’s that faith in the existing players that makes Hackworth feel major changes are unnecessary.

“We feel we have a strong core of players and lots of guys who are young, and they give us as an organization some serious confidence going forward based on what they have done in past years in terms of their growth and development and who are ready to take it to another level,” Hackworth said. “At the same time, you have guys who have veteran experience and success in the league. And combine that with the young guys who have gotten a ton of minutes, and we don’t think we need to make major or wholesale changes. That can come off as, ‘hey, they haven’t done a lot.’ But we’re looking at specific targets, and it’s quality over quantity.”